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John said to Jesus, “Master, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn’t in our group.”
Luke 9:49 · New Living Translation
Parallel translations
  • WEB John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow with us.”
  • KJV And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.
  • BSB “Master,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in Your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not accompany us.”
  • NKJV Now John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow with us.”
  • NASB John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him, because he does not follow along with us.”

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

John reports they stopped a man casting out demons in Jesus' name because he was not one of their group. The disciples wrongly equate following Jesus with belonging to their circle.

Overview

John's words reveal a narrow, exclusive spirit that ties legitimate ministry to their own company. The man was acting in Jesus' name, yet they forbade him. This sets up Jesus' correction of a sectarian attitude that would limit the work of His kingdom to their own ranks.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Mark 9:38–40John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone who doesn’t follow us casting out demons in your name; and we forbade him, because he doesn’t follow us.”
  • Num 11:27–29A young man ran, and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!”
  • Mark 10:13–14They were bringing to him little children, that he should touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who were bringing them.
  • Acts 5:28saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”
  • Acts 4:18–19They called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
  • 1 Th 2:16forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved; to fill up their sins always. But wrath has come on them to the uttermost.
  • Luke 5:5Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night, and took nothing; but at your word I will let down the net.”
  • 3 Jn 1:9–10I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (5)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Luke videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Luke 9:49YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on LukeMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.

How Luke 9:49 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.